1. Technical Field
The present invention related to crocheted balls and, more particularly, relates to crocheted balls having an embroidered portion thereof.
2. Related Art
The utilization of spherical crocheted objects for toys, games and recreations have been increasingly popular over the past several years. Initially, crocheted balls were made and sold as toys through many retailers. Now crocheted balls have many additional uses in sports and recreational activities because they are soft, colorful and inexpensive to produce. Crocheted balls and bags have become very popular for use in sports that utilize soft balls including footbag, juggling, toss ball, kick ball, dodge ball and others. Thus, due to their popularity and wide distribution, spherically crocheted objects make an excellent item for advertising and promotional purposes.
One of the more popular utilizations of the spherical crocheted objects is for the game of footbag. An originating patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,151,994, for the game was issued in May 1979 to Robert J. Stahlberger, Jr. the inventor of the game of footbag (Hacky Sack™). The original ball that was used for this game was a leather paneled style of ball shaped like a baseball. Years later, this original invention was improved upon with the introduction of several newer styles of footbags that touted improved characteristics for the playing of the game. These improved characteristics included a softer style of ball and low bounce characteristics that allowed for greater control and ease of use by the footbag players, who enjoyed the ability to “catch” the ball with the foot and perform a much wider array of athletic footbag tricks. One of the more popular ball types for the game has become the crocheted footbag.
Crochet is a fabric construction that utilizes needlework consisting of the interlocking of looped stitches formed with a single thread and a hooked needle. The popular crocheted ball is a successful implementation of crochet stitching in a round form. Thread types used include cotton, rayon, dacron, polyester or a combination of several thread types. The thread used is of varying degrees of thickness. Depending on the thickness and type of the thread, a crocheted ball will contain larger or smaller stitches which give the ball an appearance of being fuzzier, thicker or rougher. Crocheted balls are made of varying sizes, weights and looseness based on the game played, preference of the participants of the sport, durability and cost. All spherical crocheted objects can be woven by machine or by hand.
Spherical crocheted objects are woven such that rows contain increasing numbers of stitches expanding outward in a spiral form. Thus, the start of a crocheted ball (the “bottom”) starts with a single stitch; which is added to in a spiral pattern. This spiral construction soon forms a round disc. The spherical shape forms as the disc construction expands and the stitches are tightened to create a curvature. In the middle of the crocheted ball, the rows contain their maximum number of stitches and determine the diameter of the crocheted ball. For instance, if there are 10 stitches per inch then a ball 8 inches in diameter will contain 80 stitches.
As a crocheted sphere is woven, and after it reaches its maximum diameter, the number of stitches per row is reduced. Thereafter the reduction of each successive row gives the ball its shape and the stitches get tighter and closer together. Before the crocheted sphere weaving is completed, a small hole remains. Before the final closure, the ball is filled with a filling type, which is often plastic resin pellets, bird seed or other types of small or inert filling; then the crocheted object is sealed shut with the final crocheted weave and tied off in a knot. A spherical crocheted object is usually seamless and durable with the final sewing termination.
The filling of a crocheted ball determines its characteristics: slackness, feel and the best utility.
Manufacturers have chosen many different filling types and sizes. Crocheted balls are quite durable, seldom rupture and thus can be used in the most active and aggressive games with little chance of breaking open.
The simplicity and low production cost of the crocheted ball is ideal for many applications in games, sports and toys. Crocheted balls are superior for the purpose of game balls because they are very durable while being malleable and soft at the same time. This offers a longevity not found with paneled balls which tend to break open at the seams. The stresses on the fabrics during the use of crocheted balls are dissipated throughout the stitches of the ball as compared to that of a paneled ball which have limited stitches.
Prior to this invention, spherical crocheted objects have been limited in their ability to purport messages. Previous utilizations were predominantly limited to fabricating crocheted balls with designs built entirely into the crocheted construction. Thus, the primary method has been to directly crochet images into the actual weaving by means of changing the colors of the threads on each individual stitch, usually by hand, to create the necessary contrast to create such images. Although images and logos implemented on existing crocheted balls can be quite complicated and intricate, the fact remains that crocheted balls are limited by the number of stitches per inch inherent in the manufacture of such balls, usually 10 stitches per inch or less, depending on the thickness of the thread used.
Alternative utilizations applied to crocheted balls for the purpose of creating a more useful advertising medium have included other attempts to modify their construction. One known attempt has been the addition of a round panel of fabric sewn into the crocheted ball. This panel, which can be of imitation suede or another durable material, is suitable for screen printing and other suitable advertising purposes; however, there are problems with this incarnation. The basic strength of the ball is dubious due to a fixed fabric seam that is incapable of handling the stresses of hard play, and has been known to come undone. Additionally, the fabric is less flexible than the original crocheted stitches so the ball does not function as well for the preferred active sports that require a softer ball.
Still other manufacturers have attempted variants on crocheted balls to enhance the ability to purport messages or logos. Directly dyeing the crocheted threads is a less successful method of applying words, logos or advertising messages since it is often messy and unprofessional in outcome. Further still, a panel of fabric has been sewn to the exterior of crocheted balls as a means of applying a logo or message. This application is also limited because the size of these fabric pieces must be very small and do not stick well to spherical objects when glued or sewn.
In summary, spherical crocheted objects are inexpensive and mass-produced items used for various sporting, recreational and advertising purposes. To date, the several known attempts to extend the message-carrying functionality of these crocheted objects have had limited success.